A quick glance at their common opponents: Nikola Sjekloca - very game vs. Bika, yet soundly beaten with appropriately wide cards. Extremely competitive with Abraham despite fading late and never fully capitalizing on Abraham's injured right hand, beating him or at worst holding on for a draw on most people's cards yet getting shafted with Abraham inexplicably given eleven rounds by one judge. Andre Ward - struggled at times with Bika in a dirty trench war. Dominated and thoroughly schooled Abraham on the outside with ease. They also each fought a Dirrell brother - Abraham losing to Andre via DQ while in a hole on the cards (though he was coming on strong before the foul, and with it proved he possessed the power to have possibly gotten rid of Dirrell in legitimate fashion), while Bika retained his WBC title with a split draw over Anthony. (my card matched Glenn Feldman's 113-113) Going by that, you have to come away more impressed with the form of Bika. I also just consider him the physically stronger and more well-rounded fighter and vastly superior at his natural 168. (Abraham having suffered a great loss in quality moving up from 160) Abraham has more raw power and his peekaboo defense probably means he absorbs less than Bika. Every other aspect of the game favors Bika - infighting, chin (which is saying a lot, because Abraham's is very good), body punching, volume, agility of movement, stamina... and his once crude boxing skills have been improved since linking up with Kevin Cunningham, so I would say at this point even the jab (a strength for Abraham) is probably a wash between them. I think if you swapped their opposition from last year, Bika would go 3-0 (3) against Stieglitz, De Carolis and Shihepo; Abraham lost by TKO labored to a couple of decisions with scoring much wider than is reflective of how they went. Likewise, put against the gauntlet that Bika faced in 2013, Abraham might well go 0-3. Sjekloca arguably beat him today (I'll have to see the full match before making final judgment on that, but respected opinions indicate so) and then you have Periban and Dirrell - both guys who, like Bika, are too sturdy for Abraham's bombs to bother, especially as intermittently as he lets them go and consequently never getting to pile up damage. Periban with his work rate and Dirrell with his speed and switch-hitting could foil him, barring home cooking... h2h, I think Bika gobbles him alive - not just because of the evidence above, but certainly reinforced by it. :think
